Guide
How much life insurance do you need?
A calculator built on the logic: income years, debts, education costs, and existing resources.
The standard approach is to sum what your income supports and subtract resources already available. Precision is not required: coverage amounts come in round numbers, and the real goal is picking a figure that keeps the household on solid footing during the critical years.
Coverage estimate
Estimate = income × years + debts + education − what you already have, rounded to the nearest $5,000. This is a starting point, not professional guidance.
Why those inputs
Income years. The standard planning horizon is ten to twenty years of income, though the answer depends on your dependents' needs. In Benicia, households with young children often lean toward the longer term because costs for schools, housing and childcare cluster together.
Debts. Your mortgage is usually the biggest piece. If your coverage would pay it off, survivors keep the option to stay in the home without being forced out by money pressure.
Education. Budget a rough amount per child in today's dollars. It is simpler to account for it now than to buy another policy later.
What you have. Bank savings available for use, and group coverage from your employer. Group coverage typically ends if employment ends, so many people count only a portion.
Once you have calculated a target amount, the quote tool shows pricing for that amount over 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 year terms from multiple carriers. Many people buy above their estimate because the added monthly cost is modest when you are younger.